by Deborah Cristal
In today's competitive hiring climate, finding experienced employees can be an IT manager's greatest challenge. You're charged with helping your company keep pace with a rapidly evolving industry, but as skill and knowledge demands increase across a growing number of job specialties, the pool of qualified candidates continues to shrink.
Competition for the best candidates can be intense, so locating and hiring the "right" person for the job often demands an extensive commitment of time and resources. Before you begin a search, examine the positions you are trying to fill. Could they be restructured or even eliminated by shifting responsibilities to other areas? If the jobs do not focus on the IT department's core competencies, might they be better handled by outside consultants? If so, searching for new hires is probably not cost effective.
If, however, your openings require skills that don't exist internally at your firm, make the most of your recruiting efforts. Though there is no "best" method for locating IT candidates, employing a few sound strategies can go a long way toward attracting the best candidates to your firm.
Recruit from within. It's often the case that the best candidate for a job is already working for your organization. This employee may not have the precise skill set you're looking for, but he or she is likely to have the knowledge base and willingness to do the job.
In addition, your current employees are "known quantities" ‚ there should be no guesswork as to their fit with your corporate culture. You already know what motivates them, you're familiar with their work habits and they can be trained more quickly than new hires. Perhaps most importantly, though, recruiting from within shows that your company rewards quality work with the opportunity to advance.
Provide training. During your candidate search, it may become apparent that individuals with the qualifications you demand are scarce. If this is the case, consider training for current employees and new hires. You can set up formal or informal skills development programs within your company, or even subsidize outside training classes for your employees.
Go online. Technical people tend to gravitate toward technical channels, which explains why the web is a particularly appropriate source for finding qualified IT professionals. Internet job listings have the potential to be read by many more people and at a lower cost than newspaper advertisements, and they reach a targeted audience. In addition, web postings can be modified or removed at a moment's notice. A number of staffing and consulting firms also list open positions online, yet another avenue for getting the word out.
Attend trade shows. These venues provide an invaluable opportunity to interact with industry professionals and announce open positions. While the individuals you speak with may not be in the job market at present, they may be able to recommend potential candidates.
Rehire former employees. Consider rehiring excellent employees who left your company on good terms. Recent trends indicate that many employees who left as little as a year ago to pursue dot-com opportunities are now finding themselves clamoring for the stability of their old jobs.
As a general rule, it's wise to keep in touch with former employees. Even if they don't return to your company, they may have friends to recommend.
Seek personal recommendations. If you cannot think of an appropriate candidate to fill a position, someone you know probably can. Ask present employees, former employees, professional colleagues, business associates and friends for recommendations.
But don't compromise your hiring process regardless of the source of the referral. Check references just as you would with any other candidate. Often, an employer is so pleased to hear of an impressive candidate recommended from a trusted source that the candidate is in effect "pre-hired" ‚ a potentially costly error if the match is not perfect.
Offer referral bonuses. Many companies offer incentives to employees who refer applicants who ultimately are hired. The bonus plan should be contingent upon the new hire working at your company for a set minimum length of time. Bonuses can take many forms including monetary rewards, gifts or something as simple as dinner at a local restaurant.
Extend your boundaries. If you are convinced your company faces a significant shortage of IT talent, develop an advertising campaign aimed at drawing candidates from outside the region. The campaign, which can utilize radio, the web, newspapers or direct mail, should focus on the positive attributes of your community and your organization, such as access to affordable housing, good schools and other quality-of-life benefits.
Employ recruiting services. Good recruiting firms, especially those that specialize, can identify and locate candidates for you. When you develop a close partnership with a consulting or recruiting service, its staff will work with you to anticipate and manage your human resources needs.
Approach your staffing challenge with a strategy, but don't hesitate to revise it according to changes in the labor market. If your techniques aren't working, don't be afraid to retool them to get better results.
Remember, the success of your effort will ultimately be gauged by its results - the number of qualified candidates you have attracted against the time and expense of attracting them. Invest time wisely and you'll be rewarded with new hires who can help you maintain your firm's competitive advantage.
